Placement and Commissioning Officer

West Sussex County Council; Ferring; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

West Sussex County Council is seeking a Placement and Commissioning Officer to coordinate referrals and secure support services for children and young people. Based in Arun Civic Centre with hybrid working, you will manage a busy inbox, follow commissioning processes and liaise with providers to ensure timely, effective care.

The successful candidate will have strong literacy, numeracy and IT skills, plus experience in brokerage or contract management and a collaborative, organised approach to

Qualifications

• Excellent literacy and numeracy to understand referrals, tender docs and contracts.
• Ability to present information clearly and have sound IT skills.
• Experience in brokerage and/or contract management is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate referrals and secure support services for children and young people.
• Manage a busy referral inbox and follow commissioning processes.
• Liaise with providers to ensure timely arranged services.
• Support urgent or specialist referrals when timely responses are required.
• Contribute to the commissioning of new provision and provider QA.
• Support contract management activities to ensure quality and value.

Skills

Literacy

Numeracy

IT skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Teamwork

Initiative

Flexibility

Education

HNC or equivalent

Job description

About Us

Children, Young People & Learning are focused on delivering a significant shift to prevention of needing to bring children into care where it is safe not. Closer working with partners, and a focused commissioning strategy will achieve better outcomes for our children and young people.

The team you will be joining lead on the commissioning of urgent or specialist support, therapeutic services and health contracts and related voluntary sector services. They quality assure providers and monitor contracts and packages of care to ensure we get best quality and value for money. Central to what we do is building strong partnerships and support services to develop innovative, child-focused approaches that meet the changing needs of our children and families.

The Opportunity

Salary: £19,822 - £21,534 pro rata (FTE £32,597 to £35,412 per annum)
Contract Length: Fixed Term to cover maternity leave currently until 31.08.2027
Working Pattern: Part Time (22.50 hours per week), flexible hours
Location: Arun Civic Centre, Littlehampton with flexible, hybrid working

We are seeking a Placement and Commissioning Officer to play a key role in coordinating referrals and securing support services for children and young people. Based within the Children's Health & Voluntary and Community Sector Commissioning Team, you will manage a busy referral inbox, follow commissioning processes, liaise with providers, and ensure services are arranged efficiently. While much of the work is planned and process-driven, you will occasionally support urgent or specialist referrals where a timely response is required.

You will also contribute to the commissioning of new provision, carry out provider-level quality assurance, and support contract management activities, helping to ensure providers are equipped to deliver effective care and achieve positive outcomes for children and young people.

We're looking for someone who enjoys variety, the ability to prioritise competing demands, has excellent communication skills and remains organised under pressure. You'll be joining a fantastic, supportive team that offers regular check-ins, practical guidance, and a strong culture of collaboration to help you thrive in your role.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

1. Excellent literacy and numeracy skills to understand the referral processes, tender documents and contracts, and to check statistical financial information and other documents.
2. Ability to present information clearly, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding, either verbally or in written/electronic form, and have sound and accurate IT skills.
3. Good analytical skills to interpret complex information, with the ability to organise, plan and meet set targets.
4. Good communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with a range of partners and create and maintain effective working relationships. This will include the ability to negotiate good outcomes and advise and guide others to make sound decisions.
5. Ability to work on your own initiative, anticipate problems, present solutions, and make frequent informed decisions
6. Ability to work flexibly as required across different areas within the Children's Services Commissioning Team, embrace change and have the flexibility to respond to the needs of the service.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• HNC or equivalent qualification or experience demonstrating that level of numeracy, literacy and communication skills.
• Experience of working in brokerage and/or contract management - Desirable
• Experience of working within Children's Services - Desirable
• Experience and enthusiasm for work within a department to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.
• Experience of working as part of a team, independently and with a range of professional groups.

Please refer to the job description attached for the full list of required key skills and experience, and refer to these in your application.

Reward and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06506.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 5 years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran's Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.